User:Eggs Aldo/Peter Jarrette

Peter Colin Jarrette (born 1958) is a Trinidadian artist who has lived in the United States and Canada, but now makes England his home.

Background

Jarrette was born in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago in 1958, the younger of two children of Colin Dudley Jarrette (son of Dr. Oliver Bertie Jarrette, the region's leading surgeon) a radio engineer and sports producer, who worked in Trinidad, Canada and the United States; his mother was American-born socialite Clara Marie Jarrette. He began school at Bryn Mawr Infants in Diego Martin, before moving with his mother and brother to join his father in Montreal. In Montreal he attended Somerled Elementary and West Hill/Monklands High School before moving in 1972 with his mother (his elder brother remained in Canada) to rejoin his father in St. Louis, Missouri where his father worked in sports broadcasting with CBS. In St. Louis Jarrette attended Brentwood High School. Jarrette then travelled to his family's home in Trinidad where he attended Queen's Royal College. Jarrette returned to the U.S., rejoining Brentwood High briefly before yet again returning to Trinidad to attend St. Anthony's Boys. In 1975 Jarrette returned to the U.S. and graduated in 1976 from the small private school, Metropolitan, as most likely to succeed. Jarrette attended several high schools and colleges in both the United States and Trinidad. It was in St. Louis in 1976 that architect and artist Ralph Broughton discovered Jarrette and his first art exhibition was mounted at La Galleria. A succession of press features quickly established Jarrette as an up and coming artist.

Education

That year Jarrette secured a place at Parsons The New School for Design in New York City. Jarrette majored in commercial illustration. He also pursued his interests in non-credited cartoon, animation and language studies at Parsons affiliate The New School for Social Research.

Career

Before completing his bachelors course at Parsons Jarrette began to land high profile design and illustration jobs in the Manhattan fashion and magazine world. Notably a series of textile designs for Seventh Avenue women's wear designer Scott Barrie with whom Jarrette formed a close friendship. This provided him with an introduction to the nightclub Studio 54 where, with the introduction of Barrie, Jarrette met and partied alongside many of the day's most famous individuals. These introductions cemented the social status often needed to gain career mobility in New York City. Jarrette continued to be featured in news stories in St.Louis and eventually was featured as an "Up and Coming Artist" in Art Direction. Now residing in the The Cast Iron Jarrette forged friendships with diplomats from several countries, including Johan Nordenfelt, the Swedish Deputy Ambassador who went on to become the Swedish Ambassador to several countries including India, Conde Nast art directors, Armand Diradourian, Willi Smith and Broadway director and actor Geoffrey Holder. At this time Jarrette first met and befriended novelist Candace Bushnell who secured Jarrette his first publishing deal with Little Simon/Simon and Schuster. Jarrette was also good friends with American businessman Hank Adams, who collected his artwork; and Yohannes Mengesha the UN World Health Official, grandson of Haile Selassie. All of these individuals were instrumental in the direction of Jarrette's early life and works in New York City and further afield.

Notable works

Jarrette's work is widely varied. All archived work has been published. Jarrette has been a USA and Trinidad exhibiting artist with his first and earliest collector being Photographer to Queen Elizabeth II, Sir Norman Parkinson.

Jarrette has had published editorial illustration works in Mademoiselle Magazine, The Village Voice, Soho News, Consumer Electronics, Screw, High Society, Caribbean Beat (British West Indian Airways In-flight magazines), Soho News, Swedish titles Vecko Rvyn and Afton Bladet-Ung. Jarrette also designed and appeared on a range of greeting cards for Nobleworks Cards. Jarrette has produced greeting cards and a poster for Resident Alien Artists. He created special events set design for New York City dance troupe Louis Falco.

Jarrette's artistic abilities were used too in trendy window displays for Fiorucci New York City and his work appeared in the famed designer Patricia Fields downtown Manhattan boutique windows. For his home country he was asked to design the front and back cover of a Trinidad and Tobago High Commission Diary 1979 circulated worldwide to embassies, high commissions and consulates. His early love of animation led to the production of three of his short films which were aired to millions on US PBS TV in the American Midwest in the late 1970s and in Trinidad and Tobago. Lavern Ant, Jarrette's cartoon character appeared in the monthly New York entertainment news magazine Hit Parade owned by publisher writers Bruce Jope and Francis Toohey. Hit Parade featured scores of exclusive interviews with 70's and 80's super celebrity from stage, film and the music industry. Lavern Ant was Hit Parade's feature monthly cartoon and the character appeared throughout many issues in advertising and as a mascot. Her nemesis and best friend Whet Burnholes is an ex-stewardess "hell bent on clawing her way to the top of the film industry as she goes from meal service to meal tickets" while appropriating agents, lovers and film roles from Lavern. Issues of Hit Parade and its original artworks by Jarrette, the late Joel Resnicoff and early interviews by the celebrated society writer Michael Musto can be viewed on request at the New York Public Library Archives as part of the Francis Toohey Papers. Whet Burnholes the cartoon character herself was also a one-off feature in the iconic nationally circulated American glossy High Times Magazine. On another strand Jarrette's journalistic works for various magazines and newspapers included a lengthy exclusive for Brighton UK's Insight City News on a visit to Brighton by His Royal Highness Prince Philip, Queen Elizabeth II's husband. The Senior Royal was the guest of Insight City News publisher/owner the multi millionaire business entrepreneur Mike Holland who has acted as a mentor to Jarrette. The published article is now filed as part of the Royal Archives. Insight City News featured an interview cover story on Jarrette and his initial meeting with model/designer/business woman Caprice, who Jarrette interviewed on GossipTV, an I2I Technology Production, at the 2007 Clothes Show. Jarrette also hosted the showcase for the Miss England Franchise live on stage at the Birmingham NEC Arena with the model and ex-Miss Brighton Lindsay Ferguson at the same 2007 Clothes Show. Jarrette articles appear too in the international fashion and lifestyle glossy Caribbean Belle. Jarrette writes prominent features including pieces on his early friendship with Sex and The City author Candace Bushnell, his friendship with the socialite designer Meg Mathews, the ex wife of Noel Gallagher from the UK super group Oasis, his friendship with worldwide best selling royal novelist Lady Colin Campbell and editorial on Michele Obama, Kate Middleton: The Duchess of Cambridge and Trinidad and Tobago's first female Prime Minister Kamla Persad Bissessar.

Recent work

Jarrette was a monthly celeb and events columnist for Brighton's Insight News http://www.pinkweddings.biz/downloads/icn_11-10-06.pdf and the short lived glossy New Currents. Jarrette is the creator of the who's who and city lifestyle photographic coffee table book Brighton Bible http://www.yougotpapped.com/galleries/brighton-bible-boo/photo/ 4published by 4Publishing/4Print and Design and featuring images by musical composer and photographer Diana Frangi. http://www.thelatest.co.uk/homes/magazine/living-in-brighton This city wide project was serialised in weekly magazine interview format profiling Norman Cook aka Fatboy Slim to broadcaster Briggy Smale http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/news/profiles/briggy_smale.shtml in Latest 7/Latest Homes Magazine. http://www.thelatest.co.uk Jarrette also created the very popular series Women of Inspiration for Latest 7/Latest Homes Magazine. http://latest7.co.uk/pdfs/295/016_LS295.pdf Jarrette works currently as the monthly social diarist and features contributor for Absolute Brighton Magazine http://www.absolutemagazine.co.uk and as a celebrity features contributor for the international glossy Caribbean Belle Magazine. http://www.caribbeanbelle.com Jarrette has twice been nominated as Outstanding Brightonian in 2008 and 2009 at the annual Brighton and Hove Business Awards (BAHBAS) http://www.bahbas.org.uk/blog/. His nominations were due to his continual work in building the profile of a variety of Brighton based charities, like Macmillan Cancer Charity and Breast Cancer Awareness through his involvement in PR events and launch parties as well as his ongoing promoting of the city and its people via his published book projects, published articles, creative magazine features that provide platforms for others and their causes. Jarrette joined the tribute act Melodies of Boney M in 2011, dedicated to singing and performing the hits of 70's pop act Boney M(Daddy Cool)to live audiences across Russia. Jarrette is also a featured vocalist working alongside the UK based music producers behind Hysteric Ego (Want Love 1996.)

Media

Jarrette was a weekly guest presenter on Mike Mendoza TalkSport LBS as well as an occasional guest on Peter Anthony Holder's http://www.montrealgazette.com/entertainment/Peter+Anthony+Holder+speaks+about+CJAD+split/1882453/story.html show Holder Tonight on Canada's CJAD Radio http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CJAD in Montreal and CFRB Radio http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CFRB in Toronto. For several years Jarrette anchored the output for GossipTV http://www.gossiptv.co.uk/ an I2I Technology http://www.i2ic.com/home/ Production. He presented his own internet radio show The Peter Jarrette Show for Radio Basingstoke. http://radiobracknell.webs.com/meetyourpresenters.htm

Books

Jarrette is the author of four children's titles for the giants of publishing; Little Simon http://imprints.simonandschuster.biz/little-simon a division of New York City based Simon and Schuster Publishing. The four titles, children's readers published in 1981, are "All About Me and The Things I can Do Now That I'm Two; Three; Four and Five". http://www.abebooks.co.uk/servlet/SearchResults?an=Peter+Jarrette&sortby=3 The successful hardback books were worldwide top sellers making it into two editions and translated to several languages. Jarrette has two adult novels optioned for publication by Dynasty Press Ltd. London.

Press and public image

Over the decades Jarrette has been the subject of scores of magazine, newspaper, TV and radio interviews. His own artworks have appeared on magazine covers and as editorial illustrations in many countries. He has worked too as a fashion and commercial model in every country he has lived in since even his young childhood. He was first signed to Talent Plus in St.Louis, an affiliate at the time of Ford Models. In 2006 Jarrette was nicknamed "The Most Photographed Face in Brighton" greatly due to his striking appearance, brave sense of style, propensity for bleach blond hair, range of hats and the attention of well known social magazine photographers Tim C. Richardson http://www.image-catcher.co.uk and Graham Franks Jarrette was photographed continuously at the city's many events and launches and within one year he appeared in over 40 of one magazine, Latest Homes/Latest 7's http://www.thelatest.co.uk 52 weeks of annual output. Scores of appearances in Brighton's Absolute Magazine's http://www.absolutemagazine.co.uk social pages coincided with Jarrette's rising public notoriety at the time too. He became a "must have face" for a time at all press, PR events, launches and openings. Today Jarrette is known as Socialitepete, Brighton's favourite socialite. Although he has pared down the frequency of his public appearances he continues to draw the lenses of many of the city's paparazzo to his Cheshire Cat-like grin and seemingly ageless image whenever he attends any public events.

Personal life

Jarrette lives with his second wife, Karin, who he married in 1989 at London's Chelsea Registry http://www.rbkc.gov.uk/az/az.asp?orgid=1329. He maintains his interest in his art and is currently making the publishing rounds in the UK, USA and the Caribbean with three manuscripts chronicling his most unusual life and times as an artist and now, socialite, in the many cities he has lived in and travelled through. Jarrette holds dual nationality both UK and Trinidad and Tobago, an ex-resident of Canada, USA and Sweden. As well as the cities listed above Jarrette has lived in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Athens Greece, London and now is one of Brighton's well known and colourful residents http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_people_from_Brighton_and_Hove.

External links

• http://absolutemagazine.co.uk
• http://caribbeanbelle.com
• http://gossiptv.co.uk
• http://absolutebrighton.tv
• http://http://www.newschool.edu/parsons/
• http://http://imprints.simonandschuster.biz/little-simon
• http://http://www.condenast.com/
• http://http://www.veckorevyn.com/